Changing Tides
by Contrail
Summary: Stories about Juvia Lockser, before and after she joins Fairy Tail. Not in chronological order. Implied Gruvia, but not particularly shippy.
1. Phantom's End Is A Beginning

**Changing Tides**  
**Chapter 1 - Phantom's End Is A Beginning**  
by Contrail

**Summary:** Gajeel and Juvia talk in the ruins of Phantom Lord's headquarters.

**Disclaimer:** Fairy Tail belongs to Hiro Mashima, and is being used without permission. No profit is being made from this story.

* * *

After he could no longer see the back of that stupid (strong) Dragon Slayer from Fairy Tail, Gajeel looked around the wrecked remains of Phantom Lord's headquarters, trying to decide what he should do now. As he took a deep, slightly painful breath, he noticed a familiar scent being carried on the breeze. Juvia. But the scent of rain that always accompanied her was missing, and when he checked the sky there was no tell-tale knot of rainclouds to be seen. A strange, cold feeling passed over him. None of those Fairies would have had the guts to kill someone, but if she'd still been unconscious when the building came down…

As he made his way towards the direction her smell was coming from, he wondered why he even cared what happened to trash that couldn't even defeat a Fairy. But then he reminded himself with a growl that if being defeated by a Fairy made someone trash, then _he_ was trash, too. No, the Fairies had been strong opponents, much though he loathed to admit it. And Juvia had always been strong, a good partner when they'd been sent on missions together. Whoever'd taken her out must've been pretty strong themselves.

When a familiar head of blue hair came into view, he felt something relax in his chest. She seemed to be wandering aimlessly around the ruins of their guild, not watching where she was going. Instead her gaze was fixed solely on the sky, blue shifting into red and gold as the sun set. He made no effort to hide his approach, and once he was a few feet away from her she finally tore her attention away from the sunset to turn and look at him.

She was smiling, not the slightly upturned lips that had been the closest thing to a smile he'd seen from her prior to this, but large and heartfelt. It was almost absurd, really, that Juvia was the happiest he'd ever seen her after she had disgracefully lost to a Fairy, when their guild was in shambles around them. But he'd learned enough about her over the past couple of years to understand it, to know that this was the first time she'd ever been able to watch the sunset. "Gajeel-kun… The rain, it's gone. Gone!" she told him, her voice a mixture of awe and excitement.

He snorted in response to her obvious statement. That was evident to anyone with eyes, the real question was… "What happened to it?" She'd told him that she'd been plagued by it for as long as she could remember. There was no way it would just vanish on its own.

"Well, one of Fairy Tail's members came to fight me," she began. "Oh, he was so handsome… and determined to save his comrade… and kind even to an enemy like me…" Juvia had a dreamy look in her eyes now, and she was pressing her hands to her cheeks as she blushed. He'd never seen her get that sappy over a guy before, not even that Bora bastard who'd ended up dumping her.

Ugh. He wanted to know what happened to make her rain vanish, not listen to her go on about how great the guy who defeated her was! "Get to the fucking point, water woman!" he snarled.

Juvia jumped a little, snapping out of whatever dreamland her mind had wander into. "Oh, yes, of course. Sorry, Gajeel-kun," she said sheepishly. "At the end of the fight, he used a very powerful ice attack to freeze Juvia's Sierra form. It was so powerful, it even froze the rain around us. That's when the clouds parted, and Juvia saw the blue sky for the first time." She sighed happily and looked back up towards the sky.

Well, he guessed that explained why she was so impressed with the guy, even though it sounded like it had been completely unintentional. "Guess you'll be harder to keep track of now."

She flashed another smile at him, and he rolled his eyes at her. Not like he was trying to say he was glad her rain was gone or anything soft like that. They both turned to look back at the sky, and together, they watched the sunset until the Rune Knights came to arrest them.

* * *

So, this is going to be a collection of Juvia-centric one shots, not in any particular order with regards to chronology. As much as I enjoy Gruvia, I'm interested in exploring her relationships with other characters, too, so I won't be posting anything primarily shippy as part of this.

I have some ideas for more one shots to write for this already, but if you have any ideas you'd like to see, please feel free to suggest them! :^)


	2. Trial by Iron

**Changing Tides**  
**Chapter 2 - Trial by Iron**  
by Contrail

**Summary:** Upon joining Phantom Lord, Juvia is made to prove her strength as a mage to the guild.

**Disclaimer:** Fairy Tail belongs to Hiro Mashima, and is being used without permission. No profit is being made from this story.

* * *

Juvia followed Jose Porla, Master of the Phantom Lord guild, as he lead her through the rain-drenched streets of Oak Town. She'd been surprised when he'd sought her out at the orphanage; While she'd worked hard to learn magic in hopes of one day joining a mage guild, she'd always expected that she'd have to be the one approaching them, not the other way around. But apparently he'd heard rumors of a girl surrounded by endless rain and had come to investigate. He'd been quite pleased after she'd shown him her skill at using Water magic, extending an invitation for her to join Phantom Lord. It was the first time she could remember that someone had actually _wanted_ her around, so of course she had agreed to join. As they approached the guild building, the first word that came to her mind was imposing. It was built to resemble a castle, with a moat surrounding it and spikes lining the tops of the walls. She supposed such an intimidating appearance fit with the guild's name and reputation. Juvia hoped the actual members would be a bit more friendly, though.

Upon entering the guild, the Master's presence drew the attention of those seated at the tables arranged around the hall, silencing the various on-going conversations. Letting a thin smile stretch across his face, Jose addressed the assembled mages. "I have a new addition to our guild to introduce to all of you. This is Juvia Lockser." He gestured to where she was standing, to the right of and a little behind him. "She is a talented Water mage, so with her addition the Element 4 will finally be complete. I'm sure she will be capable of maintaining our reputation for excellence."

She could feel all of their eyes watching her, judging whether or not she was worthy or not to be part of Phantom Lord. She had the uncomfortable feeling that most of those assembled looked at her and found her wanting. Well, then she'd just have to show them that the Master's trust in her wasn't misplaced, right? Nervously, she bowed and said, "Ju-Juvia is glad to be joining you all."

An odd laugh filled the guild hall as one of the mages stood up and started walking towards the two of them. Most of the mages filling the hall looked like people you wouldn't really want to mess with, but the approaching man was the most dangerous looking one among them. An unruly mane of black hair cascaded down his back nearly to his waist, and his dark clothing was ripped and edged with metal studs. Matching piercings lined his arms and features, and his right arm was marked by a couple of scars. As he came closer she could make out his red, slit-pupiled eyes, staring straight at her. He stopped a few feet away from where she was standing. "Are ya sure this meek little girl has what it takes to be one of us, Master?"

Looking slightly amused, Jose turned towards her and said, "Let me introduce Gajeel Redfox, the Iron Dragon Slayer, to you, my dear, since he's too rude to introduce himself." Her eyes went wide with surprise at that information - Dragon Slaying magic was very rare, thought to be lost, really, and was known to be quite powerful. Turning back to Gajeel, the Master continued, "I have seen what she is capable of myself, but if you would like a personal demonstration, why don't you fight a little match against her?"

Gajeel laughed another of those odd laughs of his. "Sounds like fun. Just don't get mad at me if I end up breaking her a bit."

"Oh, I don't think that will be too much of a concern," Jose replied lightly. "We'll take this to Acorn Plaza, since you're agreeable."

Gajeel nodded and made his way out the entrance past them. Once he was out the doors, Juvia leaned towards Jose and quietly asked, "Are you sure this is a good idea, Master? Juvia means, she…"

Jose shook his head slightly, cutting her off. "You should believe in yourself more. I have faith in the strength of your abilities. And you wouldn't want to disappoint me, now would you, Juvia?" While his voice remained even, something about the way he said the last sentence made her shiver a little.

"Ah, no… Juvia wouldn't want that. She will do her best against Gajeel-san," she answered.

He smiled at her again. "Then come along." She followed him as he made his way to where the duel was to happen. The rest of the guild was moving in that direction as well, some of them loudly wondering how badly Gajeel would beat her. Their destination was a large plaza, thankfully devoid of any fountains or statues that might be harmed by the fighting that was about to ensue. Gajeel was standing near the center of the plaza, waiting somewhat impatiently for her.

As she walked forward, the others spread out into a rough circle around the edges of the plaza to watch them. When she was only about ten feet away from Gajeel, he smirked at her and said, "Well, let's see whatcha got, girlie."

Juvia took a deep breath to steady her nerves. At least Gajeel's element was iron instead of something like fire or lightning. She should have a fighting chance at least. And she _did_ have one trick up her sleeve that should be able to take him out immediately, if she was able to catch him with it… "Water Lock!" she called out, as a sphere of water began to coalesce around Gajeel, seeking to trap him in its depths. But he must have sensed its presence and quickly dashed away from it. With a sigh she let the water splash on to the ground below; She couldn't move it quickly enough to catch him now that he was aware of its presence.

Gajeel sneered at her from where he was now standing. "Cute little trap, but you'll have to try harder. Assuming you manage to survive this, anyway." Thrusting his right arm towards her, he shouted, "Iron Dragon's Club." The end of his arm transformed into a cylinder of iron and grew rapidly in her direction.

She pushed her magic to fill her body, feeling it change as the iron club hurtled towards her. Juvia could feel it tearing through the water that now made up her body, scattering most of her chest. As the rod retracted, silence descended on the crowd around them at the eerie sight of the hole punched straight through her chest, the edges trailing water droplets. She managed a small smile as she pulled herself back together. "Juvia's body is formed from the very rain around her. She is not harmed so easily."

Gajeel's momentarily surprised expression melted into a grin as he let out a laugh. "Gihihi, first time that's turned someone into a literal puddle. 'Least this way you're putting up a bit of a fight! Iron Dragon's Sword!" As he ran towards her, sword-arm raised, she shot a jet of water at him from her own arm, which he shrugged off easily. "Can't ya hit any harder than that?!" he asked as he slashed his jagged sword through her middles, separating her into two halves that quickly began mending themselves back together.

Gritting her teeth, her eyebrows pulling together, she shouted, "Water Slicer!" as she sent a handful of crescent shaped blades made out of compressed water cutting through the air towards Gajeel. He dodged most of them, but one of them managed to nick his left shoulder, drawing a little bit of blood. But Gajeel only grinned wider. "Gihi, not bad! But you won't get past this!" His skin began to change, turning metallic and growing scales, shredding his gloves in the process.

She sent out another waves of Water Slicers, but true to his words, his now-iron hide turned them aside. He struck out at her again with his newly clawed fists, and she returned fire with her water, but it was soon clear that they had reached a stalemate. Gajeel couldn't do any real damage to her as long as she maintained her watery body, but her attacks simply weren't strong enough to pierce his defenses either.

When the two of them separated to take a moment to catch their breath and regroup, the Master stepped forward from where he was watching with the rest of the guild, immediately catching both of their attention. "That's enough. I believe this has been a sufficient demonstration of Juvia's abilities," he said as he looked over the assembled crowd. Gajeel looked a little irritated at the interruption of their fight, but didn't seem to be inclined to dispute Jose's decision. As murmurs of acceptance drifted towards her from those gathered around them, she could tell that that they were no longer looking at her with doubt and condescension. Instead, their eyes held respect and even wariness of her strength. Even Gajeel's eyes no longer held their initial contempt and scorn for her, though she wasn't quite sure exactly what was there when he looked at her now.

Taking a deep breath, she let herself smile a little. She'd successfully passed her first trial as a member of Phantom Lord.

* * *

Geez, this one is over 1.5k words long! I don't think many of these will end up be that long. At least I hope not…

Thanks to everyone who reviewed and/or followed this! I'm glad there's at least a little bit of an audience for these, because I really enjoy writing about Juvia. :^)


	3. A Place of Warmth

**Changing Tides**  
**Chapter 3 - A Place of Warmth**  
by Contrail

**Summary:** After Juvia joins Fairy Tail, Erza does her best to make her feel welcome.

**Disclaimer:** Fairy Tail belongs to Hiro Mashima, and is being used without permission. No profit is being made from this story.

* * *

As Juvia left her room in Fairy Hills, she couldn't help thinking about how living in the dormitory was different from how things were in the orphanage where she'd grown up, where she'd had to share a room with some of the other girls, or the apartment she'd lived in after she'd joined Phantom Lord. She'd enjoyed the quiet and privacy at first, but the knowledge that there'd never be anyone waiting there for her to come home got depressing after a while. But here, while the individual rooms provided privacy, the shared areas meant that she could run into other members of Fairy Tail. She'd been a bit too shy to talk to them much yet, though, particularly since she wasn't certain of her welcome among the members of the guild yet, after what Phantom Lord had done…

She started a little when she felt an arm wrap itself around her shoulders. Looking up, she saw that the arm belonged to Erza, who had a somewhat eager expression on her face. Juvia must've been too lost in thought to notice her approach. "There you are! Let's go," Erza said as she started moving the two of them down the hallway towards the stairs.

"Uh, Erza-san... Where are we going?" she asked uncertainly. Has she done something wrong that Erza needed to talk to her about?

"We're going out to dinner with some of the other girls," Erza replied simply.

That sounded like fun, but… She looked away as she asked, "Are you sure the others will be okay with Juvia coming along?"

"Of course they will. You're one of our _nakama_ now, after all."

The certainty in Erza's voice made Juvia look towards her to find Erza giving her a warm smile. Juvia blinked back the beginnings of tears as she returned Erza's smile with a heartfelt one of her own. "Juvia is happy you think of her that way."

And as they continued to walk together, Erza's arm still around her shoulders, Juvia thought that she'd been right. Fairy Tail truly was a place of warmth.

* * *

Short but sweet this time! Ah, I love Juvia and Erza's friendship almost as much as I love her friendship with Gajeel. Sorry it's been a while since the last one of these, but I've been a little bust. And the last few Fairy Tail manga chapters drowning me in feels haven't helpe, either!


	4. The Next Step

**Changing Tides**  
**Chapter 4 - The Next Step**  
by Contrail

**Summary:** Juvia ponders what to do with herself after Phantom Lord is disbanded. Sequel to 'Phantom's End Is A Beginning'.

**Disclaimer:** Fairy Tail belongs to Hiro Mashima, and is being used without permission. No profit is being made from this story.

* * *

A week had passed since the Rune Knights had arrested all involved in the battle between Fairy Tail and Phantom Lord. Over the days that followed, they'd been questioned repeatedly about the battle and the events leading up to it. Juvia spent most of the time she wasn't being questioned looking up at the sky, watching puffs of white drift through the blue expanse or marveling at how many stars were scattered across its blackness, depending on the time of day. She'd discovered that looking into the sun too long was a bad idea (she'd looked away once it started to kind of hurt to look at it) and watched the moon change little by little.

She supposed she should've been more concerned about what the Magic Council would decide to do with Phantom Lord, but she thought it unlikely that any of them other than the Master would be punished. The rest of them had mostly just been following his orders. And she didn't think it was wrong for her to enjoy these new experiences, after so many years of seeing nothing but gray clouds when she looked up. It's not like worrying about the outcome would've changed anything, anyway.

But now the questioning was over and the Council had reached some preliminary conclusions. While they were still considering what punishment to levy on Fairy Tail for their role in the conflict, Phantom Lord's culpability in starting and escalating it was clear, which made things easier to decide upon. Their Master, Jose Porla, was going to be tried and sentenced for his role in those events, and Phantom Lord was to disband permanently. None of its other members were going to be charged with any crimes, though apparently it had been a close call for Gajeel.

With Phantom Lord disbanding, all of its members would have to join another guild if they wished to continue to be able to take jobs as mages. Juvia was confident that she wouldn't have much trouble getting some guild to take her - while Phantom Lord's reputation as a guild had been irreparably damaged by their war with Fairy Tail, her strength as a member of Element Four was well-known and unlike some other members, she didn't have much of a history of getting into trouble with the Council. She intended to take care when choosing her next guild, though. She had enough savings to not need to work for a while, and she wanted to be part of a guild that would actually accept her as a person instead of only valuing her for her strength.

Juvia wondered if all members of Fairy Tail were as dedicated to their comrades as the man she'd fought had been. They had found the strength to defeat even the strongest of Phantom Lord's members from somewhere… Was that where it came from? She'd have to observe them, find out more about them. And she might even see the one who had defeated her again… Ah, just the thought of that happening made her cheeks heat and her heart pound!

She shook her head to clear it of such thoughts. Wonderful as they might be to dwell on, they wouldn't help her decide what to do now that she'd been released from questioning. She wasn't too concerned about what would happen to most of Phantom Lord's members - the rank and file had respected her strength but had wanted nothing to do with the rain she'd once carried with her. Of those she was more familiar with, she didn't think the rest of Element Four would find it difficult to land on their feet, either, and their association while in Phantom Lord had been purely business. She doubted any of the others would feel any more remorse about going their separate ways than she would.

But Gajeel… Between the missions they'd gone on together, and her lack of fear of him, and his tolerance of her rain, an unspoken bond had formed between them. She cared about what would happen to him. And Gajeel had gotten in trouble with the Council many times, which along with his dark reputation would make it difficult for him to find a guild that would be willing to let him join. If he wasn't able to join another guild and go on jobs, she worried about what he might be driven to to make a living.

Turning, she started to make her way towards the train station. He wouldn't want to stay in Magnolia any longer now that the questioning was over, and the train was the quickest way to get to wherever he planned to go next. After a few minutes of walking, she spotted his distinctive mane of hair and hurried to catch up to him. Falling into step beside him, she greeted him with a "Gajeel-kun."

He gave her a brief glance before answering her with a grunt. It looked like he was in a foul mood, which wasn't exactly surprising. Still, she persisted. "Where are you headed to?"

"Back to where Jose found me. Not like I got any place else to go."

Juvia frowned. She'd learned over the course of their acquaintanceship that he'd been living in a junkyard prior to joining Phantom Lord, and it was located in some sort of slum from what she'd gathered. He'd kept himself alive by eating scavenged metal from the junkyard and taking money from whoever was foolish enough to try to fight him. Did he really want to go back to living like that. "Aren't you going to even try to find another guild?"

He snorted at that. "You and I both know no one is going to want to take me now. Why should I waste my time?"

She sighed and looked down. She wanted to argue with him, tell him he shouldn't just give up, but she couldn't honestly say that there was much hope.

Frowning at her downcast expression, he continued, "I ain't some weakling you need to worry about. I made it on my own before, and I'll do it again. So quit being so gloomy and start thinking about what you're gonna do."

Juvia managed a small smile at his usual rough demeanor, though her worries didn't lessen one bit. "Juvia has already decided what she wants to do."

"Then get to doing that stuff instead of bugging me," he told her as they reached the entrance of the train station. She stopped there and he continued walking forward, leaving her without any sort of proper goodbye even though neither of them knew when they'd see the other one again. His large form receded farther into the distance with each step he took while she watched him go.

But then he stopped and turned back towards her, calling out, "Don't go getting hurt now that I won't be there to save your ass anymore!"

A true smile crossed her face as she called back, "Juvia will be careful, and Gajeel-kun should be too!"

He made a irritated noise and turned around, but she knew that he was happier about her response than he seemed. He liked to act like his heart was as hard as the iron he wielded, but Juvia knew better. And while he pretended he'd be fine, her concern about his fate hadn't dimmed at all. She needed to figure out a way to help him. Maybe she could convince whatever guild she ended up joining to take him, too…

Filled with a new resolve, she turned to purchase herself a ticket as well. She'd go back to Oak Town to settle her affairs there, and then she'd start hunting for another guild. One that could be a home for her and Gajeel…

* * *

Sorry, it's been much longer since I wrote another one of these than I intended! ^^; At least this is a nice long one?


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